runawys
by ariel halberg
Summary: two ttrobled teens run away from their messed up homes and bump into each other in a an expected way.
1. Chapter 1

Runaways By: Ariel Halberg

Chapter 1

Shivering and pissed, Taylor Fritzworth, walked down a dark and abandoned street. Her own arms keeping her warm. She felt the goose bumps on her pale flesh and cursed at herself for not snatching her sweatshirt when she ran out of the hell she was forced to call home.

Tiny drops of rain started to plummet down onto the cracked below. Taylor cursed as she ran for shelter under a doorway of an old abandoned Burger King.

The vibrant yellows and blues, faded to ugly browns and grays. Taylor gave up on trying to remain strong. Taylor sat down, cold and damp, and started to cry. Finally, she realized that this was pathetic. Trying to stop her damned tears she turned and tried to stand. She saw her dim reflection in the dirty glass door and froze.

She usually loved what she saw. Her beautiful round, blue, and perfectly spaced eyes. Her small nose, which had a light trail of freckles running over it.

Her full lips and golden blonde hair that was the fantasy of every boy in her school and neighborhood.

But, when she saw herself today, she was repulsed. She stood up and ran into the lobby, not wanting to look at herself any longer. The tears that still escaped from her eyes burned her face. She tried to look around . . . but the tears were getting so heavy . . . she couldn't see anything.

Finally, after what seemed like hours she managed to control herself. Now, she could finally see, and she didn't like what she did.

Dust. Dust was everywhere. She felt that every time she breathed a thick blanket of dust covered her lungs. Taylor ignored it.

Random strips of wood were everywhere. Nails coming out of each of them. Taylor started to walk around her newfound hiding place. She slid her feet, too tiered and too pissed to have any energy to lift them. As she slid around she saw there were footprints in the dust.

Her mind was too concentrated on the mysterious footprints that she didn't realize what she was doing; she slid her toe right into a nail that was in a strip of wood.

"SHIT!" Taylor yelled as she sat to take her damn uncomfortable, too small, gym shoe, to examine the damage done to her now bleeding toe.

"You know that will most likely get infected if you don't tend to it correctly." A mysterious voice warned her.

Surprised, she put her shoe back on and stood, and lost balance and fell right back down. And she couldn't believe what happened next, the voice started to laugh. Angry as hell Taylor stood up and blasted him with the fire of her hateful words.

"Listen to me, you fucking bastard! You can go to fucking hell! I have had the worst day in my entire life, you have NO right to laugh at me you little asshole!" Taylor finished by a dramatic effect she whipped off the annoying dust on her newly ripped jeans.

"Whoa, no need for that, just wanted to let you know you should get that looked at." He shot back.

Being the nosy girl she was she was curious about who this mystery man was. As she stepped forward to feed her curiosity, she heard him take a step back. God, she wished she could see him, but of course he was in the shadows, and she couldn't see shit in the dust.

"Hey," Taylor began softly, "I just want to meet you and thank you for the warning." She smiled, or tried to. And when she did, it hurt. She waited for some type of answer or movement from her mystery man.

"So . . . uh, what's your name?" she asked, desperately trying to make conversation.

"Shane." Said the voice, it sounded an adorable boy voice. "What's yours?" he asked, Taylor could tell that he was. Well, nervous.

"Me? My name is Taylor." Taylor answered. She was so glad that she was getting somewhere with him.

"Nice name." he added

"Yours too." She replied.

Silence. Silence was one of the things Taylor hated. But silence is exactly what came over them as Taylor scrambled to find a way to see him.

"Step into the light" Taylor demanded.

"Why should I?" Shane replied

"Why won't you?" She challenged.

She heard him sigh as he stepped into the dim yellow light coming in from the window. Taylor gasped. But not in horror, no, in gladness, he was, well, very attractive. She stood there and soaked in his wonderful presence.

His wide mouth, his amazingly clear eyes, and his ordinary, yet beautiful, brown hair. His tall, skinny body and his broad shoulders.

Yet the way he was dressed made him look like homeless man. His black sweats and navy blue tee were tattered and ripped. It looked as if he spent a lot of time here because he was covered in, of course, dust.

"Happy?" he asked, impatient.

"Yes" she answered in amazement.

"So, um, why did you run in here?" he asked, reluctantly.

"And why in hell would I tell you that?" she asked, angered at the direction the conversation has taken.

"Why won't you?"

"why do you want to know?"

"Why do you always answer a question with a question?" he demanded

"Why do you?" Taylor was getting really annoyed at the overly handsome guy in front of her.

"I guess I was just really curious about the beautiful girl who came running into my hide out." He admitted.

Taylor could feel her face growing hot and most likely turning from the normal pale skin, to tomato red.

"Actually, I am pretty curious about you." She told him.

And so they talked. For hours. Many hours. Hours on end!

She told him everything. She talked about her stalker ex-boyfriend, Lucas, who has been following her lately. About the one drunken night when her father murdered her mother in front of her and her older brother just two years ago. About how he said if she ever told anyone he sis it they wouldn't believe her and he would kill her, about how her hateful father blamed the murder on her loving older brother, Vince. About how she and Vince are doing whatever they can to prove that the murderer was her father. About how they weren't getting anywhere.

And he talked. About how his mother never took the time to notice him. About how he turned to drugs and drinking to block out the neglect from his mother. About how his father died when he was one. And about why he ran away from his "home" because of the 'accident' he refused to speak of.

They talked until Taylor couldn't fight her heavy eyelids any longer. And finally, she fell asleep on the overly dusted floor.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two

Taylor woke to a door slamming. All the memories from the night before flooded into her mind. She stood to see who slammed the door that woke her hell up. She opened her eyes to see Shane clean and properly dressed.

"Hello." He said with enthusiasm.

"Hi" Taylor replied while tiredly rubbing her eyes and coughing from all the annoying dust in her throat.

"I brought you something." He said with a stunning smile.

"What?" she asked in disbelief. Somewhat awake.

Shane dropped a dark blue backpack on the floor and attempted to clean off a patch of floor. On the somewhat dusted off floor he put down three items. The first, a bright red, heavy duty, sleeping bag. Second, a plain white fluff pillow. Third, a dark green, fleece blanket.

Taylor was confused. "What? You don't need this stuff for your apartment? Did you get new stuff?"

"Actually, I found this on my door when I went over there last night." He held up a crumpled up piece of important looking paper. With a burst of energy she snatched the paper out of his hands and began to read attentively. She couldn't believe this could happen to him!

"What the hell! This is bull crap! They can't kick you out! You paid! Didn't you?" she looked up waiting for an answer.

"You know I lost my job, I can't pay for It." he told her.

" then why are you giving me this crap at the time you need it the most?. . ." she asked furiously while she was stuffing the things he layer out back into the flimsy backpack and shoved it into his arms still ranting. ". . . What are you thinking? Giving me this stuff? Geez! What's wrong with you?"

Laughing Shane dropped the backpack on the ground and placed his hands on Taylor's shoulders and shook her.

"Calm down, you need this stuff more than I do." He assured her.

"Bull crap." She said simply.

"Hey, maybe we could both use it; I mean we need to move anyway. This place is way too dusty" Shane suggested

"We?"Taylor asked, shocked.

"yeah, we.' Shane began timidly "I mean unless you don't want to spend your time with someone as crazy and stupid like me."

Taylor couldn't believe what she was hearing! "OK, you might be crazy, but you're not stupid. And you're the only person I could think to spend my time with. "Taylor said matter-of-factly.

A heart melting smile broke out from his face.

"Well, OK." He picked up the backpack; thankful Taylor already packed everything up, "let's get going"

"So," Taylor began to speak after hours of awkward silence. "Where to?" she asked.

"I really don't know." He said, somewhat ashamed.

"another abandoned burger king?" she asked trying to lighten the mood.

"I'm sure there are a few more of those, I hope not as dusty though." He played along.

Taylor laughed. It was the first time Shane has heard her laugh. He thought it was the most beautiful sound he has ever heard.

"I agree" she replied.

They decided to stay in a random, unlocked, old, and abandoned factory. Taylor was setting up the sleeping arrangements while Shane was out searching for cheap food. Their finances weren't looking to good; they were going to have to get jobs soon.

Taylor couldn't believe how much she told Shane last night. She was also surprised that they were such good friends even though they only met yesterday. She couldn't help but smile when she thought of yesterday. The day she met someone whose life is as fucked up as hers. And now they were runaways.

Taylor's thoughts were interrupted by Shane's footsteps. "Couldn't find anything but French fries. Sorry I know they're not the best thing you had in mind." He told her "buts it's all we can afford"

"We are going to have to get jobs soon" Taylor pointed out the obvious.

"I know, I know." He responded.

After they ate the golden French fries, Shane slipped into the sleeping bag; Taylor followed and zipped them up. He pulled the fleece blanket over them mad got comfortable.

"Good night" she told him

"Good night" he repeated.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Taylor woke to a loud crash of glass. She looked around the huge room she was laying in, but, Shane was nowhere to be seen.

_Probably just looking around and dropped something, _Taylor thought.

Taylor began to walk towards where she heard the noise. Fixing her haystack hair on the way. She froze when she saw her ex-boyfriend, Lucas, forcing Shane on his knees and holding him in a headlock.

Taylor broke things off with Lucas a few months ago, but he never truly accepted that they were over. Lucas had dark hair, dark eyes, and a muscular body.

"Well, hello." Lucas spoke calmly.

"What the HELL are you doing?" Taylor yelled fiercely

"That's funny, I was going to ask you the same!" he shot back.

"You have no right. No right to come in here and hurt my only friend. Why are you here anyways? We aren't together. Why can't you seem to get that through your thick skull?" she screamed at him.

"I am here for you, of course. I love you and I know you love me. And when I come to try and reason with you, I find him wondering around like a total idiot! Who is he? Your boyfriend? I am your boyfriend! You cheating on me?" he sounded delirious and desperate.

All Taylor wanted to see happen is Lucas let Shane go from his iron grasp. Taylor knew the only way that was going to happen was if she agreed with everything he said and told him what he wanted to hear. She would have to get on his good side.

"No, of course not, we only met yesterday. We're just friends!" she assured him.

"I'm sorry, about how out of control our relationship got. I really want to start things over because I really do love you. Please, come home, and be with me." He begged his arm still around Shane's neck.

Taylor didn't know what to say or do, she stepped forward and as she did Lucas tightened his grip on Shane's neck, he grunted in pain.

She quickly took a step back.

"Yeah, you're right, we should get a chance to work things out, just let him go and I'll go home, and be with you." Taylor forced they words from the throat.

"I don't believe you. How do I know you won't just run away with him?" Lucas challenged.

"I won't, I promise you. Just let him go. Please." Taylor could fell that she was about to cry.

"Well, just in case . . ." suddenly Lucas stabbed Shane in the thigh with a pocket knife Taylor was oblivious to. Shane cried out in unimaginable pain. And so did Taylor. She fell to her knees. It felt as if Lucas stabbed her in the gut, she wished he did, it would have been better that hurting poor Shane!Lucas pulled out the knife with a satisfied look on his smug face. She crawled over to Shane and held pressure to his fresh wound.

"Why?" Taylor asked pathetical looking up at Lucas while tears were rolling from her eyes.

"Now you have no choice but to come home with me, because if you don't, he won't be able to go to the hospital, and most likely die. Make your choice so, we don't have a lot of time" he said tapping his wrist.

Shane gasped in pain.

"Let's go to the hospital." Taylor said without having to think.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Taylor, Shane, and Lucas waited in the warm waiting room of the only hospital in the small town, Pleasant, they lived in. Taylor was yelling at the only nurse on duty while was sitting in a comfortable looking chair with a dirty washcloth pressed against his leg. And sitting next to him was Lucas, being nonchalant about the current situation.

"I'm sorry, but I can't help you right now." The red-headed nurse told Taylor pleasantly.

"Do you not understand? My friend is going to bleed to death! He has a serious wound in his thigh! If he dies, or has permanent damage I will sue the hell out of you and this damn, crappy hospital! I don't care what you have to do, just get him some help!' Taylor was making a complete fool of herself, yelling, screaming, kicking, and doing whatever she had to, to get some attention. The last thing she wanted is for Shane to get hurt anymore than he already is.

"I'm terribly sorry, ma'am, but all out doctors are busy and, we're booked. Now if you could please have a seat and calm down, I'm sure a doctor will be here in time." The nurse tried to reason with her. Taylor did not want to be reasoned with.

"Oh, don't give me that shit!" Taylor could feel the tears whelming in up in her eyes, "please, help us."

"I'm sorry, but as I said-"

The ringing of her office phone interrupted yet another one of her lame apologies. She held up one finger and mumbled a few OKs and MHH HHMs and hung up.

"OK, a doctor is coming down right away to take a look at your friend. Just fill this out and I'm sorry for the inconvenience." The nurse gave her a clip board and a pen.

Taylor walked over to where Shane was sitting. "The doctor will be here soon Shane, hold on." She ignored Lucas and sat on the other side of Shane. And began filling out the paperwork. Her pen paused at the line it asked for the address. It reminded Tailor that she was going to go home, back to hell. So, she decided she should put her own address.

A tall man in a white lab coat, obviously a doctor, distracted her.

"Hello, I am doctor gibbons. I will be examining Shane lots this evening. Please follow me to exam room 5." The three teens stood and helps Shane limp to the room. Once they were there they helped Shane hop up on the bed.

"What seems to be the problem?" doctor Gibbons questioned.

"He has a serious knife wound done to his thigh" Taylor answered nervously.

The doctor turned to Shane. "May I see the wound?"

Shane gently lifted the washcloth and the doctor gasped. Shocked, Taylor jumped to look at Shane's leg.

"How did this happen?" the doctor asked, purely curious.

"He was mugged." Lucas lied smoothly before anyone could answer.

"Mugged?" the doctor asked in disbelief

"Yeah." Lucas assured him

"Will he be OK?" Taylor asked, deeply worried.

"We will for sure have to keep him overnight, maybe even for a few days." The doctor gibbons explained

"That's fine, but we have to go." Lucas said as he grabbed Taylor's arm and began to drag he out of the room. She yelled at the doctor to update her while trying to pry his hand off her. He dragged her all the way out to the waiting room where she gave the red-headed nurse her number and made her promise to keep Taylor updated.

"Let's go" Lucas said toughly.

Taylor refused to talk to him. She stomped to his truck, got in the passenger seat, slamming the door.

It was a silent ride. The familiar houses whizzing past her made her depressed. She realized she was about to go back t=to where she tried so desperately to get away from. For some reason, she found herself thinking of Shan's 'accident'. She remembered how mad she got when he didn't tell her what it was.

She was so lost in the thoughts she didn't notice that they stopped until she looked out her window to find a baby blue painted, two story house. Whenever she saw this house she thought of how much her mother loved that color and it was also a painful reminder that her mother was no longer with her.

Taylor goy out of the truck and began walking up to her front door, but

She didn't seem to notice Lucas got out of the truck too until he grabbed her by the waist and basically carried her back to the truck.

"What are you doing?"Taylor asked calmly. No energy or ambition to display rage.

"What? I don't get a goodbye kiss?" he asked innocently while pressing hr back against his truck and pressing his body against hers.

"no. no. no. stop." Taylor said as she tried to push him away.

This didn't stop Lucas; he leaned and pressed his lips against hers with force. He speared his toung in her mouth. Taylor just stood there, arms at her sides, limp. Just waiting for him to stop.

He removed his lips from hers and stepped back with an entertained smile on his face. What Taylor did next both surprised Taylor and Lucas.

She drew her right arm back and let it go; she punched him square in the jaw and ran up to her front door leaving Lucas kneeling over in pain.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

_15 year old Taylor sat on her twin sized bed, listening to her parents have their nightly argument. Her 16 year old brother, Vince, was next to her, holding her hand._

"_It'll be alright." Vince tried to comfort her. Taylor just nodded nervously. _

_Taylor's mom came home from work late, and her paranoid father (who was drunk as usual) accused her of cheating._

"_You're such a lying whore!" he yelled after her as she ran into Taylor's room, crying and closing the door behind her. _

"_Mom!" Taylor jumped off the bed and hugged her mother tightly. All Taylor wanted to do was to see her mom happy. _

_Her dad busted in her door with a knife in his hand, and stumbled over some dirty laundry Taylor kept lying in front of her door. He grabbed a handful of her mother's hair and pulled her to the ground. Taylor stood there, frozen. Vince jumped up and tried to pull his dad off his mom. But his dad took one swing at Vince and knocked him out._

_Her mother was kicking; screaming, swinging her fists, and doing whatever it took to get her husband off of her. Out of nowhere Vince woke and tried again to get him off his mom, but it was too late . . . _

_A knife was in her heart. _

The slamming of her front door woke her from her frightening nightmare and found herself back in her twin sized bed. She heard her father get a beer out of the fridge; he didn't know Taylor was home.

_Maybe I can sneak out and run while he doesn't know I'm here!_

Taylor slid off her bed and opened her window and tried to quietly climb out. She paused when she heard her bedroom door open.

"Taylor?"

Taylor sighed and climbed back in her room and shut the window. Closed her eyes and turned around to face the man who put the knife in her dear mother's heart.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Taylor was staring at her phone, waiting for it to ring; the hospital hasn't called her to update her on Shane. She was getting overly nervous. Biting her nails as she tried to think on the bright side; then she realized, there wasn't one.

In the middle of all her pessimistic thinking her cell phone rang and she practically ran to it, fumbled a bit trying to get it open then finally brought it to her ear.

"Hello?" She spoke into the phone hoping to god it was the hospital.

"Hello is this Taylor?" a high female voice asked her.

"Yes, is this the hospital?" Taylor wanted to get strait to the point; she had no time for small talk.

"Yes, I am calling to tell you that Shane Lots is being released today but will need to be tended to. He will be on crutches for a few weeks and shouldn't do too much physical activity." The voice explained.

"Okay, when will he be released?"

"In thirty minutes."

Taylor hung up without saying anything else and cursed at the hospital's poor planning. She slammed in Lucas's number and put the phone too her ear.

"Hey, Taylor!" Lucas's voice came through the phone. But before she could answer a loud knocking came from the front door.

"Hold on, some ones at the door." Taylor said, frustrated.

"Go ahead." She heard him say vaguely, he sounded amused in some way.

Taylor ran down the stairs, didn't bother asking who it was and swung the door open and to her surprise, Lucas was standing there, trying not to laugh.

Rolling her eyes, Taylor shut her phone and stepped aside motioning for him to come in.

"So, what's up?" he asked as he stepped into her cramped living room.

"Shane is being released from the hospital today." Taylor informed him.

"So?" he shrugged

"SO? We need to pick him up! The nurse said he will need help!"

"I only agreed to drive him there; I didn't say I was going to do anything else."

"Are you freaking serious? You're just going to let him wonder around on crutches fending for himself? You need to pick him up! You're the one who fucking stabbed him! You need to help him!" she yelled.

"No, the only thing I need to do is kiss you." He said seductively pushing her gently against the wall.

"Have you forgotten what happened last time you did this?" she asked, pushing him away.

"No, that's why I am going to teach you some manners." He forced his lips on hers and pushed her whole body against the wall. His hand that was once one her waist, were now sliding under her shirt and up her torso. The whole time Taylor was pushing and resenting him but he would not ease up.

Once his mouth was off hers she yelled at him to stop and leave her alone but he acted as if he didn't hear her.

"I didn't know you two were back together" Taylor gasped when she saw her father standing in the doorway.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Her face burned from all the tears that were running down her face. She was crying way too much lately. But she couldn't help it; she let Shane down, and will probably never see him again. Taylor couldn't stand the thought of never looking into his perfect eyes again. She ran from the painful thought, though the tears still came.

Her pathetic crying was interrupted by her father opening her bedroom door and pocking his head in.

"Shut the hell up with the crying, some of us are trying to sleep!" he scolded her.

She tried to stop, but it only made her cry more. Her father sighed and walked in and sat on her bed. She could smell the revolting stench of alcohol coming from him.

"Are you upset about your mom? Or about Lucas? Or that new Shane guy Lucas was telling me about? Tell me, so you can stop crying so I can get some damn sleep!" Her father waited for an answer. Taylor refused to give him one.

"Fine don't tell me, just stop the damn crying." He said has he got up to leave the room.

Taylor was so outraged she somehow came up with the courage to say, "You're a real bustard, you know that?"

He froze, turned, he looked pissed off. "What did you just say?"

"You are a real asshole! A huge coward, bustard, disgrace, and more. You disgust me!" Taylor got off the bed, ready to stand up for herself for once.

"You have no right to disrespect your father like that!" he yelled, slapping Taylor across the face. Taylor gasped and brought her hand to her face.

"You are not going to abuse me like you abused my mother! You are a real disgrace to this family, a real disgrace to mankind! And if you ever lay a hand on me again it will be your last time you will ever lay a hand on anyone!" she threatened.

Her father took a step closer to her. "Oh, really? You think you can protect yourself? Like you protected your mother? Like your mother protected herself? You two are weak. And I can do anything I want to you." As if to prove his point he took a swing at her face and knocked her down on her bed. He got on top of her, punching her over and over and over, until she was nearly unconscious. Finally he got up and threatened her.

"If you run away, or tell anyone about anything, I will track you down, and kill you, slowly. Think about that while you're planning to run off with that low life Shane." He slammed her door.

Taylor fell unconscious soon after. He got what he wanted, Taylor stopped crying.

The next morning a loud slamming of her bedroom door woke her, her head hurt like hell. She gently turned her head to see Lucas, his face was in shock.

"Oh, my, god. What happened to you face?" he asked.

"Get out of here, you ass" Taylor said as she turned back around so she didn't have to see him.

"No can do. You see, I promised your dad I would keep an eye on you. You know, so you don't do anything stupid." He informed.

Taylor snarled in disgust. "I don't have a father." She said, remembering the events of the previous night.

All the pieces finally clicked in Lucas's mind.

"oh." He said, enlightened. She heard a hint of disbelief and pity in his voice.

"yeah." Taylor confirmed, on the verge of tears.

"Did Vince do this to you too? Because I know what he did to your mom." Lucas asked.

"Lucas," Taylor sat up and turned to face Lucas, who was now sitting on the edge of her bed, "Vince didn't murder my mother, it was him. My dirt bag 'father'." Taylor broke out in tears and leaned on Lucas's strong yet soft shoulder.

"We need to get you out of here; I can't stand to think of him doing this to you. I love you, and if this ever happens again, I promise you I will kill him." He told her, staring into her eyes.

With a sudden urge, Taylor leaned forward and placed her lips lovingly on his. He gently complied and leaned forward, placing his hand softly on the side of her face. Taylor loved this, this warm feeling of his lips, his gentleness. She let go of his lips and smiled.

"We need to get out of here" Lucas said and began to get up but Taylor pulled him back on her bed and kissed him again. Now she could see, he truly loved her, and she might actually love him in return.

"Taylor?" she turned her head to see Shane standing there with his crutches in hand, and a face of pain and heartbreak.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Taylor was feeling super uncomfortable. She, Shane, and Lucas were all three sitting in Lucas's truck. Taylor in the passenger seat, Lucas in the driver's seat, and Shane in the small, cramped back seat.

Shane hasn't said a word to Taylor since he saw her kiss Lucas a hour ago. Persuaded him to come along with us and gave him a sincere apology for the fight in the factory. They decided they were going to go back to the abandoned burger king.

Taylor had no idea what she was going to do, living with both Lucas and Shane. She loves them both. But she doesn't know if she can forgive Lucas for what he did, but . . . she knew she was falling in love with him, or at least the loving, soft and gentle side of him. But she also was falling in love with Shane, she shared so much with him and she felt they had some sort of bond . . . but Taylor doubted Shane would ever love her or even talk to her again.

They stopped in front of the ugly grey and brown burger king.

_This is where it all started_ Taylor thought to herself

Taylor stepped into the overly dusty room. A flood of memories invaded her mind. She shared so in this room. And met an amazing person in this room. A person, who will now probably hate her forever.

An hour later Shane wanted to get out, so he went to go scrounge for food. So he left Taylor and Lucas in the in room.

"Now that we are alone, I think we should talk about what happened in your room." Lucas began, he stepped closer to her.

"I do to, I think I may love you, when we were going out you never showed me this side of you, I really like this side." She said, and took a step closer to him.

"I really do love you, I will change whatever I have to do to be with you, did you feel what I felt when we kissed?"

"I did, but, you need to know, I may also love Shane."

"Is there anything I could do to make you see you love me more?"

"Kiss me"

And he did. A slow, loving kiss. The kiss that sealed any deal. Both Taylor and Lucas knew, they were in love. The kind of love that comes from unexpected places. The kind that hits you so fast you have no idea what happened, the kind that lasts forever. And for that moment e=when their lips touched, Taylor forgot about everything, including Shane.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The three runaway teens have been hiding out in the abandoned burger king for a couple of days. Taylor was still stuck between Lucas and Shane, but what she shared with Lucas was, unimaginable. Taylor didn't think she could share that with anyone ever again, but also, she deeply cared for Shane, that night in the burger king, she bared her soul to him.

Since the burger king they were recently resigning in had no working bathrooms they had to walk a couple of blocks down to the gas station so everyone could have their potty breaks. It has been a silent few days; Taylor didn't like the silence, or awkwardness.

"Who wants to go first?" she asked the two guys.

"You can." They said, simultaneously.

Taylor smiled, "ok, I will" she left the two to confront each other and went off to do her business.

Lucas turned to Shane. "You don't even have a chance."

"Chance for what?" Shane asked, obviously being sarcastic.

"To be with Taylor, we are in a type of love that cannot be described, and you are just the guy she ran into when she ran from home." Lucas scolded him

"I wish you were thee the first night we met. When she told me what a psycho you are!"

" that was the old me, when I saw her face, all . . . beat up, something changed in me, I realized how much I really did love her, and that kiss you so rudely walked in on, was real and . . . . . I can't explain it, it's like she woke me up from years of sleep." Lucas tried to explain but Shane wasn't buying it.

"Don't give me that shit! I know your type! You all in love and when she finally gets . . . close to you, you leave her in the dust, and you don't love her! You don't even know what love is!"

"You're the one who doesn't love her! You won't even speak to her!"

Shane fell silent

They waited, Taylor never came back, Lucas glanced at his wrist, expecting to see a watch, but of course he left it at home.

_Very helpful_

He scolded himself.

Finally Taylor came out.

"Hey babe." Lucas greeted her, putting his arm around her, throwing a glance of victory towards Shane.

"Babe?" Taylor asked.

"Yeah, boyfriends are allowed to call their girlfriends babe right? Aren't we boyfriend and girlfriend?"

Taylor looked over at Shane to see his reaction, to see if he loved her, he remained emotionless. Pissed Taylor made a snap decision.

She pivoted so she could wrap her arms around Lucas

"Of course we are, **babe**."Taylor smiled and Lucas pressed his lips softly against hers.

"Well, isn't that cute?" a woman's voice said behind them. They all three turned to see who spoke. A tall, 30ish looking woman stood with her arms crossed and an amused smile in her face.

"Mom?" Shane gasped in disbelief.

"I've been looking for you Shane. I would have taken care of you, you didn't have to run."

"Yeah I did." Shane insisted

"No, I wouldn't let the police get to you, I mean; it's not your fault you accidently shot a prisoner."

Taylor couldn't believe it. That was his 'accident' he wouldn't tell her about? He killed someone? Who? Who did he shoot?"

"Hi, I'm Taylor, Shane's friend. Um, who did Shane accidently shoot?"She could stop her curiosity.

"Leave it alone, Taylor" Shane warned.

"Oh, Shane, its fine, she can know!" She told him, anyone could tell she was a little drunk, "I believe his name was, Vince Fritzworth"


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"Taylor?"

Taylor awoke to the worried voice of her boyfriend. She could feel that she was in his arms. She remembered the devastating news that Shane's mother provided her with. After his mom said her sweet brother's name, she remembered nothing, but all she could think about was Vince.

She looked up at Lucas. "Lucas, he is gone, my brother, my dear sweet brother!" she busted out crying and wrapped her arms around Lucas.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean for this it to happen." She heard Shane say behind her.

Outraged, she stood and walked over to Shane and prepared to punch him but when she swung her arm forward he ducted and Taylor lost balance and ended up on the ground, a really dusty ground. They were back at burger king.

_Well, after what I do to Shane, we'll end up in the hospital!_

Taylor got back up and ran toward Shane kicking him right in the private area. Lucas just watching in amazement as Taylor began to kick Shane while he was down.

"Cant duck out of this can you? You filthy maggot! When I was speaking of my brother you knew who I was talking about! You didn't even have an ounce of humanity to tell me he was dead?" she scolded and continued kicking him.

When Taylor went for his face, he grabbed her ankle and pulled her to the ground. Shane got up and wiped himself off.

"Look Taylor, I'm sorry. I did know who you were talking about, but, I was afraid to tell you because he was your brother. I didn't mean to shoot anyone. Please let me explain." Shane pleaded.

"I don't need your fake ass explanation or apology! I never want to see your face again. You disgust me!" she got up and ran to Lucas. Shane yelled and smashed something and finally walked out the door, slamming it.

"Taylor, I am so sorry, I knew how much you loved your brother, and after everything you did to prove he was innocent! I am so sorry . . . "Lucas pulled Taylor into a tight hug, never wanting to let go.

They stood there for a while, holding each other, Taylor crying, and Lucas trying to comfort her.

"What can I do?" Lucas asked, trying to help her calm down.

"There is nothing anyone can do, he is dead, gone. I will never see him again!' Taylor said through tears. Lucas put his finger under her chin and brought her face up to his, he placed his lips on hers, he could feel her hands knotting themselves around his neck and could hear her start to calm down a bit.

"You're tiered, let's lie down and get some sleep." Lucas said as they began to lay down, most of Taylor's wait was on Lucas. She put her head on his chest, and closed her eyes.

The next morning Taylor woke. She looked at her sleeping boyfriend, who she was laying on. She smiled, she never noticed how handsome he was, how incredibly beautiful he was, well, at least through her eyes. Lucas sensed her movement and woke, smiling as if he knew what she was thinking.

"Why, good morning" he said, not bothering to get up, he kept his arms around her.

"Good morning." She replied

"Feeling better?"

"Not really . . . "

"I wish I could do something to make you feel a little better"

"I wish you could too."

"I could kill him, if you want." Lucas asked, completely serious.

"No, I don't want."

"Okay, just know I will do anything to help you feel better, I hate seeing you like this, and it breaks my heart."

"Thank you for being here with me; I don't know what I would do without you right now."

"Die."

"Probably"

They laid there for a while, drifting off into their separate worlds. And yet, they were connected in some way.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Shane awoke in his own bed. He looked around his familiar room, trying to remember why he had come here in the first place. After the fight with Taylor, he had nowhere else to go, but he knew he came back home for a very particular reason.

Taylor . . .

Shane felt a sharp pain when he thought of her. When he thought he would never look in to her beautiful blue eyes again. He shut his eyes and pushed the memory of her face away. Why did his mother have to say anything to her? Why couldn't she just keep her mouth shut?

Now, without Taylor, what did he have to live for? Why would he want to live with all this pain anyway? Why would he want to live without her . . .?

Then he remembered.

He remembered why he came. He quickly got up, and half jogged to his mother's room. When he got there, he paid attention to nothing and went trait for the dresser. He opened the top drawer and rummaged through lace and satin cloth until he felt something hard and metal. He pulled hot his mother's hand gun.

"Shane?" he heard his mom's voice say behind him.

Burning with rage he checked to see if the gun was loaded, it was. He turned to see his mother, fear in her eyes. He held the gun toward her, and cocked it.

"Shane, what are you doing?" she asked, holding her hands up in surrender.

"It's your entire fault!" Shane scolded her.

"What is?" she asked, confused.

"Taylor won't even look at me now, you BITCH! Why? It's all your fault and now you're going to pay!"

"Shane, think about what you're-"

She was cut off by a gunshot. She fell back and landed on the ground. She lifted her hands to where the pain was, and felt wetness. She looked down to see that blood was all over, bleeding out of her heart. She started gasping for air ass her son watched.

"I'll see you in hell!" Shane said as he sent a second bullet through her heart.

Freaking out, Shane lowered the gun and picked up his mom's phone, quickly dialed Taylor's number, hoping she would answer and didn't leave her phone elsewhere.

Thankfully she did.

"Hello?" he heard her voice say through the phone.

"Taylor, this is Shane, please come over, I'm at my house. Please hurry, it's my mom." He hung up the phone before she could say anything else.

Then, without thinking, he picked up the gun, put it to his head, and pulled the trigger.

**It's genius! Ha-ha, Sorry Shane fans! Please don't kill me. How do you think Taylor is going to react when she finds out about Shane? How about Lucas? Please review.**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Taylor and Lucas walked into Shane's house, arguing.

"I'm telling you, it's a trap! He is going to attack! Probably kidnap you! I'm just warning you that, if he tries, I will kill him." Lucas told Taylor as they were walking in the door.

"Don't be ridiculous!" she told him, somewhat laughing, but her laughter fell short when she looked into a room where two dead bodies lay.

"Oh my god!" Taylor gasped and she began to feel a little light headed, she lost balance and leaned against the doorway. Lucas came, hurrying down the hall. Once he got to the doorway he followed Taylor's gaze and saw Shane on the ground, his back facing them, and a huge puddle of dark red blood framing his head. Lucas started to feel a little light headed himself. He has never seen so much blood. He looked over and saw Shane's mother, blood soaking her shirt, and eyes still open. He looked over at Taylor who looked as if she was about to faint. Luckily he caught her before she hit the ground.

A little while later Lucas was sitting in the doorway, Taylor unconscious in his arms. He was beginning worry about what they were going to do with the bodies. Should they call the police? And if they did would the police suspect they were the murderers? His worrying was interrupted when Taylor moved in his arms. He looked down at her, he could see she wanted to cry, but she was holding back. She stood and began to walk to Shane. Lucas grabbed her wrist, trying to stop her, but she shrugged him off. She went and stared at Shane's back, not wanting to see his face.

All of a sudden she busted out crying and, when her tears where coming so violently she couldn't stand, she sat on the ground, avoiding the blood, but didn't take her eyes of Shane's back. Lucas stood and walked over, sitting behind her and wrapping his arms around her, as if to keep her from falling to pieces.

"What happened? Who did this?" Taylor asked through her tears, even though she knew he couldn't answer.

"I don't know, Taylor, I don't know."

"What are we going to do?"

"I guess we should call an ambulance, or the police."

"But what if they think we did it?" Taylor repeated his earlier thought.

"We could call them and be gone before they get here."

Taylor pondered the possibility, coming up with any flaws it might uphold.

"But couldn't they trace the call?" Taylor asked, still crying, but it was a softer cry.

Lucas thought of a loop hole of the possibility Taylor just came up with.

"What about the phone Shane called on? Could we use that?"

She nodded. Lucas and Taylor got up and began searching. Lucas found it on the other side of Shane, next to a hand gun. Lucas carefully stepped over Shane's body, trying to block Taylor's sight so she wouldn't have to have the memory of Shane's brains coming from his head, locked in her mind. He dialed 911 and subtly herded Taylor out of the room.

"Hello, this is 911, what is your emergency?" Lucas heard a women say, obviously tired of the routine of her job.

"There are two dead bodies at 638 Jefferson." Lucas said and hung up. When he looked over at Taylor, she was staring out in space, a steady stream of tears still running down her face. Taylor was thinking of the first night she met Shane, how quickly she fell in love with him. How badly she hurt him when she began to fall in love with Lucas. This was her fault! If only she wasn't so selfish!

Lucas was wondering what he was thinking about. Obviously Shane. Then he realized they had to go. He took a step closer to Taylor.

"Taylor, we have to go, like, now!" he warned.

Taylor just nodded and walked out the door. Lucas followed, finding himself thinking of Taylor and Shane. Thinking if Shane's death was his fault. He came to a conclusion that it was, if only he wasn't so selfish! If only he didn't fall in love with Taylor both Shane and his mom would be alive.

So, Taylor and Lucas walked down the street, holding hands, and their guilt on their shoulders.

**Whose fault do you think it is? Is it any one's fault? What do you think is going to happen between Lucas and Taylor? Please review!**


End file.
